Microlab Employees

Print Quota

Shippensburg University has instituted a print quota policy that affects all printing in labs and computer classrooms that contain a print release station. This page provides information about the quota and how it works.

What is the print quota and how does it work?

All Shippensburg University students receive a print quota of 400 pages plus a 100 page grace limit (or a total of $20.00 credit) per semester. University faculty/staff receive 1,000 pages (or $40.00 credit) per semester. Since this quota is treated as a dollar amount by the printing system, each page printed on a black and white printer deducts a total of $0.04 from your balance. For labs with color printers, each page printed deducts $0.40 (10 pages) from your balance.

The number of pages in your print job is not reduced from your balance until you release the print job by swiping your Ship ID card at the print release station. Simply sending a document or web page to the queue by selecting the print option will NOT deduct any pages from your balance.

When your total balance reaches $0.00, you will not be able to release print jobs from any print release stations. Instead, you must first add more pages to your quota by visiting the Student Accounts Office in OM 100 or call (717) 477-1211.

Why was a print quota instituted?

There are numerous environmental issues caused by excessive printing related to deforestation for the paper needs and filling of landfills for used toner cartridges and old, worn-out printers. Shippensburg University instituted a print quota in order to help reduce the impact to our environment and to make effective use of our resources, thereby containing the costs of making printing available to our students. There are over 2.5 million pages printed to computer lab printers each year, and over 11 million pages printed to all campus network printers in the same time frame. Instituting a print quota will help to keep the costs of paper, toner, and printer maintenance under control, and will also greatly assist in conserving resources. It can also help deter those who abuse lab printing privileges by printing excessive quantities of documents.

How do I check my print quota balance?

You may check your print quota balance at anytime by swiping your Shippensburg University ID card at any print release station. Print release stations can be found in each of our public labs, including MCT 054, MCT 158, Grove Hall 108, Shippen Hall 240, and the Library. Stations are also installed in many departmental labs.

How do I increase my print quota?

You may increase your print quota by adding more pages to your account. Additional printing may be purchased with a $5.00 minimum. The cost per page is 4 cents on black and white printers and 40 cents on color printers. Additional payments are non-refundable. Additional printing purchased carries over from the fall to the spring semester if you are enrolled. To purchase additional printing, please go to the Student Accounts Office in OM 100 or call (717) 477-1211. Student Accounts office hours are Mon-Fri 8:00am-4:30pm. Payment can be made with cash, check, or money order.

What pages are counted towards the print quota?

Any pages printed to a lab or classroom printer with a print release station are counted towards your print quota. Many of these lab printers have an option to duplex (double-side) your print jobs. If you select this option, only one page will be charged to your account per two pages printed. For information on how to duplex your print jobs, please see our Printing Information page or ask a lab attendant for assistance.

How many students will be affected by the print quota?

The print quota was designed to conserve resources and save computer lab operating costs. Based on recent studies at Shippensburg University, only a very small percentage of students actually exceed the print quota in a given semester. The print quota also helps to limit the printing of students who may have previously abused their lab printing privileges by printing an excessive amount of pages.

How are faculty/staff being asked to help?

Faculty and staff are also being asked to assist in the effort to decrease operating costs and conserve resources. Many professors have previously posted articles online, requesting that students print these materials in a campus computer lab. Instead, faculty and staff are being asked to encourage students to submit papers and class work electronically, read materials online and bring laptops to class. Files can be posted for reading on websites and in Desire2Learn (D2L). Students can save files to their personal file space by saving to the My Documents folder on any lab computer or by accessing http://stufiles.ship.edu from Residence Halls and off-campus. When printed versions are required, faculty are asked to utilize the Print Shop on campus to photocopy materials in advance. The Print Shop's equipment is designed to handle large quantities of materials better and more efficiently than lab printers. Paper copies of these materials can also be made at a much lower cost through the Print Shop.

What steps can I take to reduce the amount of pages I need to print?

Think about the document you need to print. Can class work or papers be submitted to your professor electronically through email or Blackboard? If it is research or reading material, can it be read online? Remember you can save files to your personal file space by saving to the My Documents folder on any lab computer or by access http://stufiles.ship.edu from Residence Halls and off-campus. Our Printing Information page contains tips and resources on saving paper and limiting lab printing. In addition to this, the most important tip is to be careful and patient while you print. The number of pages in your print job is not reduced from your balance until you release the print job by swiping your ID card at the print release station. Simply sending a document or web page to the queue by selecting the print option will NOT deduct any pages from your balance. However, be careful when releasing your print jobs. Make sure you sent the correct document to the printer, and that you are aware of its length and your available balance. If you need assistance with any of these measures, ask your lab attendant.

How can I dispute a print charge?

If you swiped your card at a print release station and were charged for printouts that you didn’t receive due to a printer error, please submit our online Print Charge Dispute Form. We will research the error and get back to you. Your account will be credited as soon as we verify the printing logs.